


The Gold Cloak of Rebuilding

by Rasy Tojas (ambaila)



Series: A New King's Landing [1]
Category: game of thrones
Genre: AU, F/M, Post Season 8, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-23 20:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21087335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambaila/pseuds/Rasy%20Tojas
Summary: Brienne of Tarth considered herself to be friends with Tyrion Lannister, but after a secret he kept presents itself, she doesn't know what to make of it.





	The Gold Cloak of Rebuilding

**One**

She stood in the Tower of the Hand, face to face, with a ghost. Jaime Lannister, nearly a year after he was declared dead stood before her, a sword at his hip, a gold plate on his chest, and a white cloak down his back. He looked every bit the commander she remembered, but aged. Aged, broken, and gray. 

“You look well my lady.” 

“And you look dead.” 

He grinned at that. He turned his back to her and looked over the city which was no longer burning. No longer smoking. 

“Why are you here?” 

“To help rebuild what has been broken.” 

**Two**

“Your new guard seems to be fitting in well.” 

Brienne narrowed her eyes at the Hand of the King. She was friends with the man. Right after the burning of King’s Landing, the new King, and her appointment to the King’s Guard, they had spent many nights just talking. She had gotten to know Tyrion as the man and not the Imp. He was a good man. 

“I could slit your throat,” Brienne told him. “How is he alive?” 

“Is that what you’re really upset about? That he’s alive?” 

“Yes,” she said quickly. “No. I don’t know.” 

Tyrion glanced at her with a satisfied smirk. 

“I informed the King of it after the meeting in the Pit,” Tyrion explained. “The Maester had sought me out while I was being kept in chains.” 

“And that was ten moons ago,” Brienne grumbled. “You never thought once to tell me?” 

“That what?” Tyrion challenged. “My brother was alive and he was knocking on death’s door and could be taken by the Gods at any moment and have you live through his death _ again? _” 

When Brienne said nothing, but kept her gaze on the men below, sparring, Tyrion went on. 

“It was the King’s decision to keep my brother away,” Tyrion explained. “He will have no lands, no title. The man that the world knows as Jaime Lannister is in fact dead.” 

“I still want to kill you.” 

“I expect you will for some time.” 

**Three**

Isolation. Silence. Two things Brienne of Tarth, the Lord Commander of King Brandon Stark’s King Guard, a Commander in the fight against the Dead learned to love and relish the silence and independence. She had to call meetings, especially when it came to rebuilding the Keep and King’s Landing, but she was able to delegate to Podrick. Now Podrick and Jaime. 

She talked to him when she absolutely had to. He didn’t argue with her. He did what he was told. They had a walk through of the city, just above Fleabottom, when a girl approached him. Brienne and Podrick stood back, handed out the kits of blankets and food to the inhabitants of a rebuilt home while a little girl handed Jaime a doll she had made. 

“For the king,” the girl said with a smile. 

“I’ll give it to him my lady,” Jaime said. 

The girl smiled and ran back inside. 

They were up the alley way, a few doors down, when the girl was at his side offering him another doll. 

“For you,” she said. “For safety.” 

“I’ll protect it my lady,” Jaime said, nodding seriously. “You can count on me for that.” 

Her mother had come to them, Podrick stepped up, ready to block the woman. They had encountered a few citizens who were ready to knock Jaime down with their swords. As they said, Jaime was to pay for the sins of others. Jaime simply moved on while Podrick warned the citizens that this was a new King, the sins of others was not to be charged. They were trying to rebuild. 

Brienne stepped out of the alcove she had been standing in, onto the grass of the garden in the Keep. She approached the man who sat there, alone and quiet. 

For the first time in the nearly four months that Jaime Lannister had entered into her life again, she offered him the first sign of acceptance. A hand to his leg. He gave her a look of gratitude and nodded. She didn’t pull away. He didn’t deserve the coldness in the sun. 

**Four**

Brienne swung her sword with a grunt. She jabbed the dummy with a hiss. She swung and she lunged. She shifted her feet. Grunt, hiss, grunt. 

It had been night terrors that woke her. The sun was just now beginning to peak out above the mountains. She had dreamt that the Battle against the dead was not successful. More people had died. People she cared about had died. 

She swung harder. Jabbed faster. Held her sword in both of her hands. She needed to feel the power of survival again. The adrenaline that she had felt that night, not knowing if she was going to survive, was what woke her. What propelled her into training clothes and down to the practice yard. The lights of the barracks were dark, thankfully, and she wasn’t expecting an audience. 

Until she hood the crunch behind her and she swung her blade at the intruder. 

“You could have been _ killed _,” she snapped. 

“Thank the gods you have control.” 

It was Jaime in training clothes much like hers. He held onto his own blade, not Widow’s Wail - no that was in the Lord Commander’s round room, mounted onto the wall. Brienned had it installed when she thought he was dead. He never asked for it back. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Hoping to train,” Jaime said. “I got rusty when I was in Pentos.” 

“I can get Podrick to assist you.” 

“He is with the King.” 

“Then I’ll get you a squire,” Brienne sniped. 

“What if I want to train with the Lord Commander?” Jaime questioned, challenging her. “What if I want to train with the woman who defeated the Hound, led the Battle at Winterfell against the dead, became the first female knight in the Seven? What if I want to train with her?” 

He was challenging her, listing all of her good deeds. He was a good training partner. He was a good listener. He was a good teacher. He assisted with the training of the Unsullied and the men who fought for Winterfell. His eyes told no lies - but - 

Brienne swung her sword and he blocked it. Worry filled his eyes. She took a step back, dropped her sword and swung it low. He moved out of it’s path. Determination took the place of the worry. 

He swung. She swung and it was just like they were on the bridge before the Bolton bannermen found them. She spun around, letting her sword fall behind her and he took his shot. Her front was open and he made the attempt to take advantage. She caught him with the hilt of her blade. She shoved his sword up and shoved him, watching him stumble back. 

“I yield,” Jaime said, holding his hand up. “I would like to call a truce.” 

With the point of her sword, square in his chest, she gripped the handle of her sword. 

“You need trust to have a truce.” 

“Do you not trust me Lady Brienne?” 

“I did once,” she told him. “I haven’t decided if I do now.” 

With the sun casting it’s morning shadow on the training yard, Brienne left Jaime sitting in the dirt. 

**Five**

She stood in the Tower of the Hand, face to face, with Jaime Lannister. He was sitting behind his brother’s desk, the feels of his boots on the wood surface. Wearing comfortable clothes, Jaime was regarding her with a look she hadn’t seen in many moons. It was a look that once upon a time made her nervous. Now it just irritated her. 

“What can I do for you?” Brienne asked, standing there, waiting for him to respond. 

Jaime had summoned her like she was under _ his _ command. 

“My brother and the King have gone to the North,” Jaime said. “I’m curious as to why you haven’t gone with them.” 

“The King asked for Ser Podrick specifically,” Brienne told him. “You know that. You were there.” 

“I was,” Jaime said. “I also was there to hear the King invite you along and you denied him.” 

Brienne said nothing but shrugged. “I have work here.” 

“And can I help you with that?” Jaime asked, standing and coming around his brother’s desk. 

“Only in your dreams,” Brienne remarked in returned. 

“You wound me wench,” Jaime smirked.

Brienne smiled and turned, leaving the study. She walked down the hallway listening to Jaime snipping at her, catching up with her. 

She found that she wouldn’t be upset if he stood by her side. 

**Author's Note:**

> A series of post season, what if thoughts.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


End file.
